ADDAMEER URGENT APPEAL
Administrative Detention
of Salwa Salah and Sara Siureh
Salwa Salah was born on the
Sara Siureh was born on the 20, November, 1991. On
Both girls are relatives (cousins) and one of the girls is
still at school. The ISA claim that the girls are involved in militant
activities[1]. They were taken to Telmond Prison
and then taken to Ofer Prison where they were
interrogated for one hour. In the
interrogation they were asked about what they were doing and if they had any
relations with any political group. The
girls did not confess to anything. After
one hour the girls were taken back to Telmond where they spent a couple of days.
On the night before going to the
What is Administrative Detention?
The
Israeli authorities can hold people in "administrative detention"
without charge or trial, for as long as they wish. They have no intention of bringing such
detainees to trial, saying they are a “security risk”. They do not inform the
detainees or their lawyers how they have decided these detainees are a security
risk. Administrative detention orders are
issued by the Military Governor for terms of up to six months, and they are
frequently renewed shortly before they expire. This process can be repeated
over and over again. The
mental suffering caused by not knowing the grounds for detention can amount to
torture as defined under the UN Convention Against Torture and such lengthy
detentions without charge or trial also constitute 'arbitrary detention' which
are a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Article 9(1)) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 9). Currently,
there are approximately 750 Palestinians now in administrative detention. Of these there are approximately 10
Palestinians under the age of 18 years old.
ACT
NOW TO SUPPORT SALWA AND SARAH:
Register your outrage to imprisonment without trial. PLEASE
WRITE to the Israeli government, military and legal authorities, demanding
that Salwa and Sara be released immediately and that their administrative detention
not be renewed. In particular letters should be addressed to Lt. Colonel Sharon
Afek Legal Advisor to the Israeli Army in the West Bank Chief Military
Attorney. P.O. Box 10482,
Beit El, West Bank; Tel: 972-2-997-7071; Mobile: 972-50-551-1782; Fax:
972-2-997-7326. Fax: +972 2 997 7326
Please cc Addameer at addameer@p-ol.comso we can keep track of the letters
of support.
Letters can also be addressed to:
Mr. Ehud Olmert
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
3 Kaplan Street, PO Box 187
Kiryat Ben-Gurion, Jerusalem
91919, Israel
Fax: +972- 2-651 2631
e-mail: rohm@pmo.gov.il, pm_eng@pmo.gov.il
Mr Daniel Friedmann
Minister of Justice
Fax: + 972 2 628 7757; + 972 2 628 8618
Mr Menachem Mazuz
Attorney General
Fax: + 972 2 627 4481; + 972 2 628 5438; +972 2 530 3367
Mr Ehud Barak
Minister of Defense
Fax: +972 3 697 6218
sar@mod.gov.il
PLEASE WRITE TO the International Bar Association (IBA), asking its
members and Human Rights Institute to put pressure on the Israeli Bar
Association to ensure that all subjects under Israeli jurisdiction be granted
the basic principles of rule of law - transparent processes which do not allow
for arbitrary justice or governance - to which the IBA's Human Rights Institute
(HRI) claims to be dedicated to: "The HRI is now a leading voice in the
promotion of the rule of law worldwide."
Please send your letters of concern to the Director of the Human Rights
Institute of the International Bar Association, Fiona Paterson, and copy it the
Chairs of the Council, Ambassador Emilio Cardenas (Argentina) and Justice
Richard Goldstone (South Africa).
Fiona Paterson
Director of Human Rights Institute
International Bar Association
10th Floor
1Stephen St
London, W1T 1AT
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7691 6868
Fax: +44 (0)20 7691 6544
PLEASE ALSO WRITE TO the European Union urging the EU to pressure Israel
to release or charge all prisoners in Administrative Detention and to put an
end to such an unjust, arbitrary and barbaric system of incarceration without
trial.
Send your letters of appeal to:
Personal Representative for Human Rights (CFSP) of the EU Secretary General/
High Representative Javier Solana
Ms. Riina Kionka
175 Rue de la Loi BE 1048
Fax. : +32 2 281 61 90
Email : riina.kionka@consilium.europa.eu
The Commissioner for External Affairs and European Neighbourhood Policy
HE Ms. Benita Ferrero- Waldner
Email: relex-enpinfo@ec.europa.eu
Or send a comment via ec.europa.eu/external_relations/feedback/question2.htm
Israeli Embassies and Consulates in your
own country
A directory of Israeli embassies can
be found on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To access
it, please go to the following link: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Sherut/IsraeliAbroad/Continents/
Below
is a suggested draft of a letter that can be sent:
Dear Colonel Afek:
I
am writing with regards to the arrest of Salwa Salah and Sara Siureh on
Both girls are currently detained in Addamoun Prison inside
Under Article 78 of the Fourth
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War, the administrative detention of persons is allowed ‘for imperative reasons
of security’. However, for many years
the system of administrative detention has been abused by
I would like to voice my opposition
to the detention of Salwa Salah and Sara Siureh unless they are charged with a
recognizable offence and immediately brought to justice in a fair trial
according to international standards. Their continued
detention is clearly not in their best interest, nor is it in accordance with
the articles outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
In the mean time, I urge you to
allow Salwa and Sara to receive regular visits from their family members.
Sincerely,
____________________________________